777 Days Of Etherious
by LunacyRail
Summary: Fairy Tail is the top Guild on the Magnolia server of the popular MMORPG titled Etherious. Lucy had always been a solo player until the fateful day the fiery tempered Natsu Dragneel known in game as Salamander had unwittingly rescued her from a player of the opposite faction whom was about to gank her. That was the day she joined Fairy Tail, a guild she had long admired.


**Chapter One:** _Golden Nicola._

* * *

 **A/N:** Hi everyone! So I know I haven't finished/updated my other fics recently, but this idea came to me during my plotting time and I could not for the life of me get it out of my head.

In case you would like to read but aren't terribly familiar with _MMORPG Lingo_ , here is a couple of links to some common terms used in this fic. [Just take out the spaces]

almarsguides swtor/gettingstarted/mmorpglingo .cfm

mmoglossary mmorpg_terms/1/index .html

I really hope you enjoy!

* * *

 ** _Titania is speaking . . ._** "Alright is everyone logged into Team Speak?"

 ** _SkyMaiden is speaking . ._** **.** "Hi Erza, I'm here."

 ** _Titania is speaking . . ._** "Ah Wendy, good, everyone else? Gray, Natsu, Lucy?"

 ** _KeyOfCelestials is speaking . . ._** "I'm here."

 ** _IcedShell is speaking . . ._** "Hey."

 ** _Salamander is speaking . . ._** "Yo!"

 ** _Titania is speaking . . ._** "Alright everyone is present and accounted for, I'm already at the summoning stone, is everyone ready for the new instance?"

 ** _Salamander is speaking . . ._** "I'm all fired up!" He let off in exhilaration.

 ** _KeyOfCelestials is speaking . . ._** "Natsu." The warning in her voice was evident. "Don't go rushing in like you always do, it's a new instance we don't know what to expect yet."

 _ **Salamander is speaking . . .**_ "Jeez Lucy, you worry too much, we're Fairy Tail, we got this!" Lucy could swear she heard the grin in his voice were that even possible.

"More like you've got lava for brains." Came the sarcastic remark of the user Lucy knew as Gray.

"What was that ice princess?" Natsu roared indignantly causing Lucy to pull her headset away from her ears for a moment.

"Knock it off you too, N O W." Came the chillingly threatening tone of the user Lucy knew as Erza.

"YES Ma'am!" Both Natsu and Gray chirped out in fear of further reprimand.

* * *

It was not long after that, that Erza had summoned each of them to the stone placed in front of the instance portal.

"Alright I'm going to add the buffs now you guys." The player Lucy knew as Wendy spoke. Aware that Wendy had been a few years younger than the rest of them, Lucy had always tried to hold back on any sort of bad language, not that it worked very well, especially with Natsu and Gray, they had been known for spouting off whatever came to mind when worked up. She grimaced at the thought watching as the screen lit up with each new buff Wendy had casted on each of their characters.

"Yosh! Let's do this!" Natsu spoke as he headed for the instance portal, Lucy couldn't help but smile to herself her lip gloss glistening against the illumination of her monitor within her dark room. 'He can be so childlike sometimes…' she thought following after him. Once inside Erza spoke once more,

"Alright, it looks like the main boss fight is located on the seventh level, let's try to avoid trash mobs as much as possible, got it?"

"Mm!" Wendy let off.

"Sounds like a plan to me." Voiced Gray.

"Agreed…" Lucy began, until Natsu interrupted.

"I'll take em' all on, bring it on trash mobs and bosses!" Lucy sighed in rejoinder.

"I swear to Mavis Natsu if you pull multiple trash mobs I'm going to strangle you, and then make you pay my repair bill." Natsu chuckled at her threat.

"So what you're saying is I should pull all of the mobs at once right Kehehe." He snickered, knowing he was purposefully pushing her buttons as he so often loved to do.

"Don't you dare!" She chided.

"What about double dog dare?"

"Mmmph Natsuuuu" Lucy groused planning to tell him off, well that was until Gray decided to interject.

"If you two are done flirting can we get going on this instance?" Wendy couldn't hold back a giggle at the remark he had made. An audible scoff escaped both Lucy and Natsu's mouths.

"We're not flirting!" They bellowed in unison causing a chuckle to come from Erza.

"Okay enough, let's get moving, I've got somewhere to be in a few hours so I want to get this finished." Erza remarked changing out her character's armour based on the element of the instance they had entered.

"Right!" Lucy spoke, summoning one of her many spirits in game, "I'll use Taurus for now." And with that they headed into the first group of monsters. Mostly silence over fell their chat as they were each concentrating on the fight.

* * *

The trio had easily made it through the trash mobs and onto the first floor boss.

"Does anyone need a mana break?" Erza quizzed.

"I think we're okay to get through the first boss." Lucy thought aloud, and with that they had scampered into the first boss fight lead of course by the overly eager Natsu. Despite their assumptions however it was turning out to be tougher than they originally estimated.

"Damn this is pretty advanced for a first boss." Gray observed in displeasure.

"Tch, this one's nothing, let's take him down." Natsu crowed as they fought on.

"Wendy, Heals." Gray suddenly called.

"On it!" She responded sending a healing spell toward the character named IcedShell.

"Lucy, pull out Sagittarius and stay back with Wendy, it looks like he targets based on range." Erza suggested.

"Got it," She quickly sent Taurus away and summoned Sagittarius, backing her character up to be near to Wendy. Erza stepped in 'requiping' into a different armour better suited for tanking.

"Alright, Gray, Natsu, Lucy: I'll hold his agro, hit him with everything you've got."

Both Natsu and Gray grinned at their respective computer screens, shelling off spell after spell.

"Alright bub, how about a fire dragon roar." Natsu growled, as his special attack meter had filled to the top allowing him to use such a spell.

"Let's add an Ice Cannon into the mix." Gray smirked, setting off one of his own special attacks. All the while Lucy continued her long range attacks and Wendy focused on healing spells.

"He's almost down, keep it up!" Erza encouraged while using melee attacks to both do damage and keep herself as the target.

Within only a few more assaults on the team's behalf, the cut scene for the boss's defeat activated.

"Wow, they've really improved the graphics with this latest EP." Lucy commented in awe.

"Can't argue there, guess they went all out." Gray agreed.

After the cut scene had finished, the party had assumed it would be a good time to take a mana break, well not counting Natsu.

"Yosh, I can't wait to see this main boss, I bet it's a dragon." He spoke hungrily. Lucy watched as flames surrounded his character, almost as if it were a direct extension of his own personality. She sighed quietly.

"Up your mana first, if the first boss was this hard the next one is going to be even- NATSU WAIT." She howled as Natsu completely ignored her unfinished statement and headed for the next available mob. Erza placed her thumb and forefinger to the bridge of her nose, staring at her computer screen with a face of half contempt and half entertainment.

"Damn it, idiot, if we wipe because of you, I'm going to kick your ass!" Gray shouted, making his character chase after the 'Fire Dragon.'

"Hah, like you could win in a fight against me popsicle breath!" Natsu countered as he pulled the nearest mob to the group.

"Oh, yeah? Wanna bet?"

"I don't need to gamble, I always win." He bragged adding an efficiently entertained scoff to the end of his sentence.

"Um, hopefully we'll be alright since it's just trash…" Wendy defended in a docile manner hoping to disperse the twos argument for now.

"You better hope we don't wipe on trash." Lucy added. "If my repair bill is over 50,000 Jewel—shit, I mean shoot!" Lucy suddenly let off aware enough of Wendy's presence to correct her language as a heavy enemy blow headed her way. She sighed in relief as Natsu's character deflected the attack, trying to ignore his laughing in the background.

"You should pay better attention weirdo." He noted.

"Don't call me weirdo!"

"Why not Lucy, I'm just callin' em' like I'm seein' em'"

"Oh is that so? I'm pretty sure you're not seeing me at all." Lucy rebuked and hearing silence on the other end for at least twenty-seconds she smirked to herself in triumph.

"I'll come see ya then, and you'll still be a weirdo." The comment was general coming from Natsu, as if he wasn't nervous at all about meeting any of them let alone Lucy.

Lucy on the other hand choked back a gasp at his words pursing her lips as to not allow its escape. She felt a familiar warmth rise on her cheeks, one that she was feeling more and more often after meeting the Fire Dragon Slayer she knew as Natsu. Before she could try to give back a normal sounding retort however, Wendy of all people spoke up.

"Meeting up would be kind of fun though don't you think?" Her question was innocent enough.

"I wouldn't say it was a bad plan, we have been playing together for nearly two years with just Lucy alone, and a lot of us longer than that." Erza added, her brow quirked in interest at the idea of meeting the people who had been her team mates for so many years. The celestial mage couldn't believe what she was hearing, she wanted them to stop talking about this. Natsu was just kidding after all right? Or by some slim chance did he actually desire to meet her? Thinking about it made her cheeks flush all over again.

"I know I'm newer to the guild but I'd really love to meet everyone from Fairy Tail." Wendy stated, "You've all become like family to me."

"Awe Wendy~!" Lucy cooed forgetting about her embarrassment for a moment to comment on just how adorable Wendy was. Gray chuckled in the background.

"Hmm, could be interesting." Was his opinion on the matter.

"Are we seriously talking about meeting…" Lucy asked apprehensively.

"Hell yeah, I'd kick Gray's ass for real if we meet, so let's do it."

"I think you mean I'd kick your ass flame brain."

"Tch, we'll see about that."

"Ahehehe…" Lucy gave a nervous laugh. "Don't get too hasty…I mean I know we've been friends a long time but…"

"Are you trying to tell us you're secretly murderer Lucy?" Natsu grilled, quirking his brow at his monitor in curiosity.

"What?! No! I'm not a murderer, are you!?"

"Well I can kill a stack of pancakes pretty damn fast." He joked in rejoinder, receiving a laugh from the entire party, including Lucy. Well, if anything at least he could calm her nerves, even if he was the one causing them to spike to begin with.

"Hmm," Erza began as if she was thinking on her words, however she never quite said anything else on the matter as they had reached the next boss fight.

"Someone snare Natsu before he runs in prematurely." Lucy spoke in a sarcastic tone knowing this was not actually possible to do in game to players of your same faction.

"Oi!" He protested, causing a laugh to escape Lucy's lips. "Heh," He smirked, he had seemed pleased to hear her laugh.

"In reality though, this boss looks to be an Earth elemental so Natsu, your fire attacks are going to do the most damage." Erza quipped.

"Kehehe, bring it on." For the second time that night, Lucy could swear she heard the grin in his voice.

* * *

"Man, I'm beat, that instance was almost raid status." Natsu complained as the finishing cut scene played.

"Speaking of, is everyone here available for this week's raid schedule?" Erza enquired.

"Umm, I think so, what time were we going for again?" Lucy questioned as she reached for the yearly planner on her desk flipping to the date she needed to look at.

"7:30PM wasn't it?" Gray spoke only half sure.

"Yes, 7:30PM if that's going to work, I've posted the schedule on our guilds page, so be sure to mark whether you can make it or not." Erza initiated. "Ah, actually it's time for me to get ready for my plans, not too bad for a first run through we only wiped a few times."

"Be safe." Lucy smiled to herself, thinking on the few times they wiped trying to determine whether or not any of them were Natsu's fault, and as if he was reading her thoughts he derided.

"None of them were my fault either!" Lucy let off a quiet yelp.

"No one said they were Natsu."

"Mhm, well I know you were thinking that Lu-cy." He dragged out her named in an reproachful tone.

"A-Ah…how could you possible know that 100%?" She probed anxiously.

"Cause' I know you like the back of my hand."

"…What…" Was all she could retort, too caught off guard by his statement.

"You don't know that saying or what?" He was baffled as to how Lucy couldn't know such a common saying.

"N-no that's not-" She started.

"Oi you two, you know there is still other people in this voice call right? You're going to poison poor Wendy's mind with all this flirting." Gray interposed.

"No um…I'm really not that young you guys…" Wendy tried even as she was blushing at the assumption Gray was making about their flirting.

"Shut it Droopy eyes!" Natsu chastised.

"Oh my god, we're not!" Lucy added defensively pushing her palms against her cheeks, aflame at the mere accusation.

"What'd you say squinty eyes?!"

"Here we go again." Lucy groaned. A sweat drop formed on Wendy's head.

"Well it is always like this…" She added her own wisecrack.

"Unfortunately." Had been Lucy's reply as she listened to the two go back and forth with insults and threats.

"A-anyway…I have to get going, I have a paper to finish writing." The youngest member present finally interjected her voice into the Flame VS Ice argument.

"See ya Wendy," Natsu spoke cutting off his fight with Gray for a moment.

"Hope you get a good grade." Gray added.

"Have a good night, don't work too hard." Lucy smiled at her computer screen as Wendy went offline.

"Shit! Is it seriously that late, I got laundry to do." Gray barked in a mild panic.

"What'dya need to do Laundry for ya pervy stripper?" Natsu affronted, receiving a scoff from Gray.

"You're lucky I've really got to go damn fire prick." Were his last words before logging off for the night. Lucy pursed her lips once more, now that she was alone in the call with Natsu she wondered if they would have anything to talk about. She had always worried about this fact however, and each time, Natsu had proven her worry to be unheedingly silly.

"Hey…" Natsu began. Lucy felt herself twitch in surprise at the sudden softness of his tone.

"Y-yeah?"

"Can you meet me in front of Hargeon bank?"

"Huh? Why?"

"Cause it's the nearest bank to this Instance?" He spoke matter-of-factly. Lucy furrowed her brow.

"That's not what I'm asking, why am I meeting you there?" She asked even as she was already atop her newest Legion mount and heading for the voiced location.

"Just cause'," He clearly wasn't planning to tell her why. She sighed in defeat.

"Fine."

* * *

As she reached the bank, Lucy noticed that Natsu's character was already there, he used the in game wave action. In response Lucy waved back, dismounting and moving to stand in front of him.

"So are you going to tell me why we're here?" She asked as she followed his character into the bank hall, waiting patiently as he spoke to one of the many tellers.

"Hang on," He voiced, finally finishing up his transaction. Her eyes quailed as a trade window popped up, and the item she saw caused her breath to hitch.

"I came across this the other day," He grinned at his computer screen only able to imagine the reaction she was having. "Lucy?"

"N-N-Natsu…what are you…why are you giving me this…a _golden Nicola_ …you could sell this for at least 700 million Jewel…" The way her voice was faltering in both shock and excitement was exactly how Natsu had been hoping for her to react.

"Yeah I know, but you wanted this for a long time right? I don't care about Jewel." He sounded so cool Lucy couldn't deal with it. She sniffled suddenly, pursing her lips and trying to hold back the over flow of gratitude she was feeling.

"W-What are you…why are you crying…don't cry…Lucy please, you know I hate when you cry." He sputtered in alarm.

"No… I'm just…I'm happy…thank you so much Natsu, really thank you, you're the best." Her words came forth as she used her characters actions to hug his character. For once it was Natsu's cheeks that felt uncomfortably warm.

"Uh…y-yeah…it's not a big deal…I can't use it and you wanted it…so yeah…it's nothin'," He stammered over his words inelegantly.

In excitement Lucy accepted the trade, clicking okay as the notice that the item would be soul bound to her character popped up. She quickly learned the spell and summoned the golden Nicola dog.

"Oh my god, it's so cute, I can't cope."

"I was right, you're a weirdo." He chuckled.

"Hey!" Lucy warned, followed by a quiet laugh she wasn't able to hold back. "I'll let it go this time since you've just given me something so remarkable."

Natsu scratched his cheek sheepishly while looking at his computer screen, watching the golden Nicola dance about next to Lucy's character.

"Anyway…wanna do dailies for a little bit since we're the only two still online?" He managed to change the subject.

"Hmm." Lucy let off, she knew she had some studying to do and yet it was terribly unappealing compared to the offer on the table. "Yeah, let's go." She smiled at her screen as if Natsu was right in front of her.

"Sweet." He fist pumped with his character, summoning his mount of which had looked to be a small blue cat with a white wind-span. Lucy followed suit summoning her Legion, and with that the two headed toward the closest daily objective.

* * *

 **A/N:** Alright, so I don't know if I am happy with how this chapter came out, but here it is either way. I hope you enjoy it, especially if you are a gamer you might enjoy it~ Please let me know what you think in a review, and or like/fav I'd highly appreciate it!


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